Freedom Seekers
by ac135
Summary: For once, Mikan is ready to take hold of her own life, but for her and Yoichi, this is something completely new. An abusive father and an ignorant mother are the only forms of love they know, which might make running away harder than it seems. Warning: A bit of Child Abuse
1. For One Another

**True to my word, I'm completely rewriting Freedom Seekers. I'm sorry about all the waiting for nothing, but hopefully you'll enjoy this story even more so :) **

* * *

A soft thud sounded throughout the small hallway as a door was carefully shut. Unfortunately, the wood was old and worn, and when it slammed shut it scraped against the floor, causing a shivering screech.

Taking a deep breath, Mikan glanced cautiously around the corner, peeking at the man who lay collapsed on a raggedy old couch. Relieved that he was still passed out, she tiptoed across the room, stepping carefully so as not to step on the creaky boards she knew were there. Making it to her room, she creaked the door open and slid inside.

"Yoichi," she whispered, "it's okay to come out now." Sighing, she dumped her backpack in the corner and bounced onto her bed. As she lay there studying a book, a young boy came out from the corner. His hair was a soft silver, matching his eyes. When he saw the girl laying on the bed, he walked over to her and stared silently until she noticed him. Chuckling, Mikan pointed towards her backpack. "There's a sandwich in there."

Watching her younger brother eagerly devour the food, Mikan gave a sigh. "Persona forgot to feed you again, didn't he…"

Yoichi gave a solemn nod, not wanting to interrupt his meal with words. Holding back a growl, Mikan just glared at the door. That moronic drunkard had done it again - passed out, not even thinking about his five year old son.

Once his dinner was gone, the silver headed boy crawled onto Mikan's lap, and swiftly fell into an exhausted slumber. Combing his greasy hair with her fingers, Mikan couldn't help feeling that this was unusual for him. Usually the boy would keep to himself, and only cling to Mikan when it was absolutely necessary. A pang of guilt caused her to stop combing his hair. No, this was her fault for always leaving him alone all day - no wonder he was lonely.

"Mikan, did you finish your homework?"

Hearing her mother's voice, Mikan groaned. In as soft a voice as she could manage, so as not to wake up the boy sleeping on her lap, she replied, "I just got home so I haven't yet, sorry!"

Her door was opened, and a woman walked in, eyes narrowed. Her hair was in a mess, and her eyes were puffy. "You're just laying on your bed, so why aren't you getting it done? I can't have you failing your first year of high school!"

Sighing, Mikan didn't look at her mother. "I'm a Sophomore Mom, I already finished my first year."

Eyes narrowed in confusion, Yuka slowly massaged her forehead. "Er.. Yeah, I knew that. Don't contradict your mother… Anyways, just get it done right away."

Nodding, Mikan continued to avoid looking at her mother. After a few minutes of silence, Yuka stumbled out of her daughter's room.

Glaring at the place where her mother had stood a few moments ago, Mikan felt a rage filing up her heart. She was still lost in thought, when all of a sudden a hand reached up and gripped her chin. Surprised, she let the hand pull her head until she was staring into the silver eyes of her little brother. Forcing a small smile, she shook her head in reply to his unspoken question. Of course that hadn't been Persona, because otherwise…

That night, the two siblings spent the night in the dark, huddled together on the bed. The house they lived in was falling apart, and their shared room was as small as possible without being a closet. Like the rest of the house, the paint on the walls was flaking, and the carpet was filthy and ratted. As for furniture and decorations, they had none. A pile of clothes made up their 'dresser', and their few but treasured possessions were kept safely under the bed.

* * *

Groaning, Mikan woke up the next morning to find that it was already 8:17. Shoot, she only had ten minutes to get to school! Struggling into a pair of shorts and a teeshirt, she kissed her brother on the forehead and practically tripped into her shoes. Grabbing her bag she dashed out of her bedroom and headed for the front door, only to be stopped by a loud snore. Inwardly groaning, Mikan slowly turned her head to stare at the man who was slowly starting to wake up.

Rubbing his head, Persona slowly sat up. Mikan cursed herself for having woken up so late, but could do nothing as the tall man lumbered over to her, eyes hazy and dull. When he caught sight of the teenager who had frozen in the middle of her tracks, he pulled a lazy smirk. Reaching out a hand, his spidery fingers stroked her arm. The girl flinched at his touch, holding back a scream. "What's the matter, girl?" Suddenly groaning at the massive headache he had received from his hang over, Persona gripped the girl's shoulders to steady himself.

Recognizing the signs of a hangover, Mikan guided the man over to the bathroom and helped him to throw up into the toilet. Retching, Persona held his stomach and leaned over the sink, attempting to wash the horrible taste out of his mouth. Eyes glaring, he turned to Mikan, who backed away. She knew that he was still drunk, but even now he didn't have any reason to be mad at her, right?

Mumbling incoherently, Persona pushed her aside and headed for his bedroom. When he saw that Mikan wasn't following him, he shouted angrily. "Go find Yuka!"

Trying to hold her temper, Mikan looked away angrily. "She's at work right now, just like she always is this time of day."

"Go…go…go get her…" he mumbled back. Mikan frowned. "She's not here right now! Go lay down, before you pass out on the floor!"

Suddenly she was on the ground, her cheek stinging. Holding the side of her face, Mikan looked up at Persona in shock. The drunk man was struggling to stand, but he still stood over her, a cruel look on his face. "Don't talk back to me, girl. If I tell you to get Yuka, then you do that!"

Trembling, Mikan tried to glare back at him, but her nerves got the best of her and she closed her eyes. "Alright, alright! I'll go ge… get her, okay?" she tried to stand up, but she was stopped by a hand gripping her shirt. She was pulled to her feet and held against the wall. Struggling to breath, Mikan tried wrenching the firm hands off of her, but the man's grip was stronger by far.

Unable to speak, Mikan stared wide-eyed at Persona, who kept a calm look on his face. "Don't speak back, don't disobey, and get good grades in school. That's all you're supposed to do, right?"

Mikan nodded hurriedly. Persona smirked. "Then explain why you're not leaving for school until now!"

Choking, Mikan felt her senses clouding. She swore, one day she was going to kill this man! He was purposely making her late, and punishing her for it! A sigh escaped her as she slumped against the wall, unconscious.

A tall shadow loomed over her, as Persona stared at her silently. Without another word, he stumbled into his bedroom.

* * *

Her shoulders trembling, Mikan stumbled into her bedroom late at night. When Yoichi cast her a questioning glance, she didn't even notice. Instead, she just collapsed on the floor and covered her face, ashamed of her tears. All day had been a nightmare. As soon as she was conscious again, she had been dragged to school by the now-sober Persona. She got into trouble with the Principle for being so late, had to make up excuses for her bruises, and when she got home she had a furious Yuka waiting. Her mother had just arrived from work, and heard all about what happened from her husband. Now it was late, and Mikan hadn't eaten since lunch time.

Yoichi was used to his sister coming home like this, so he simply left her on her own. The girl always took their parents anger and punishments, never letting anything happen to her younger brother. At times like this, she just wanted to be left alone. By the next day, she always turned out fine, smiling like usual. Yes, tomorrow everything would be back to normal.

* * *

"Why can't you do something of use for once, instead of making things worse?"

Sobbing, Yuka sank to her knees, sobbing helplessly. "I don't know how much longer I can support the family on my own, I need your help wether I want to admit or not!"

Persona sighed, staring at his emotional wife. "Just shut up for five minutes, woman! I'm getting headache!"

Eyes wide, Yuka shook her head. "Persona, would you listen to me for five minutes? You don't even care that our house is falling apart, as well as our family! All you do all day is get drunk at the bar, then come home expecting me to take care of everything!"

Growling, Persona stood up, causing his wife to back up worriedly. "Who's the one who brought you and your pathetic daughter out of the slumps in the first place? If it weren't for me, then you two would still be living out on the streets!"

Shaking her head, Yuka let out a whimper. "You to-told me that you wanted to start a family, and that's why we had Yoichi! Why would you say that, if all you really wanted was a bottle of beer?"

Glaring, Persona clenched his fist. "Shut it, you hag! It was your idea to have the brat in the first place, so it's your duty to take care of him!"

* * *

Mikan huddled as she listened to her parents arguing. It always turned out like this after she somehow screwed up. After all, the two adults had very different views. As far as she knew all Persona wanted was a carefree life where he could get drunk as much as he wanted, which is why he married her mother when Mikan was five. They had been living on the streets for over a year, after her real father died, and Yuka had been blinded by her desperate need for attention.

And as for Yuka, she was in a mess after taking care of the family for so long. Her job was exhausting, and all it made was barely enough to pay the bills. That's why she was so dependent on Mikan getting good enough grades for a high paying job. Mikan was aware of what was expected of her, and she also knew all the stress that was piled on her mother, but it hurt to know that Yuka knew exactly how horrible Persona treated her kids while she was away, and yet she did nothing more than yell at Persona.

Why couldn't she have just been born into a loving family like the kids at school? Two parents who loved her, and siblings that she would lovingly tease, like she'd heard of. Or better yet, why couldn't she just have never been born at all?

Yes, it would be better if she had never been born at all!

Glancing at Yoichi, who was restlessly sleeping on the bed, she was careful not to wake him as she tiptoed out of the room. Her parents were done arguing and had gone to bed, although they slept apart like always. Persona was passed out on the couch again, and he slept like a log so it was easy for Mikan to sneak out of the house without disturbing him.

Outside, she took a deep breath. The night air was something she was very familiar with, since she would often sneak out during the night to escape her family. The stars twinkled merrily at her, and she closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see them. Wasn't life hard enough without being laughed at by the universe? It was like they were mocking her pitiful worries. After all, what was an abusive father supposed to matter in such a large universe? Even on all of earth, her very existence didn't matter. Would anyone care, or even notice if she were to disappear?

A hot tear trickled down her cheek, and she hurriedly brushed it away. Instead of crying, she glanced around for a rock, anything sharp. Catching sight of a shard of glass from a smashed bottle, she slowly grabbed it and held it to her heart. All her life had been spent in misery, she couldn't remember a single happy memory. What did it matter if she was gone? At least then, she might have a happier life in Heaven or Hell! Whichever one she went to didn't matter, because nothing could be worse than what she was living now.

Gulping, she pressed the sharp blade to her thin shirt, heart pulsing rapidly. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes and…..!

"Yo…Yoichi!" She whispered in surprise, staring at the young boy who was standing before her, gripping her hand tightly. Trembling, she allowed the glass to fall from her hand, before collapsing on the hard ground. Overwhelmed by emotions, she couldn't even think to wonder how Yoichi knew what she was doing this late at night.

"Nee-chan!" Yoichi said firmly, glaring at the stunned girl laying in front of him. Her eyes flickered towards him, and Mikan was surprised to see the amount of pain in his eyes. Sitting up, she frowned. Seeing that she was confused, Yoichi was at a loss for words. "I… You were going to leave me…?"

Now she was full-out crying. Sobbing, Mikan held her bother close. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry… I don't know what I was thinking…" Touching her shoulder, Yoichi stood up and held out his hand. Mikan took it and stood up, still crying. Together they stared into the night, knowing that they were the only two people who cared for one another. Mikan glanced down at the five year old. How could she have been so ready to just abandon him? No, if they were ever going to escape this painful world, it would be together. Before dying, she would at least show this child what it means to truly be alive, and maybe even experience happiness for herself. That might be asking a lot of this unforgiving and merciless world, but she would try her hardest.

"Mikan, what are you doing outside right now?!"

Hearing Yuka's angry voice from the doorway, Mikan and Yoichi shared a glance. It was now or never, before they lost their courage the chance had to be taken right away! Taking a deep breath, Mikan held the boy's hand tightly and immediately started running. The dirt road was empty, and everything was pitch dark, so Mikan relied on her instincts to lead them safely away from that pit of despair. She could hear the horrified cries of her mother, but this time she wouldn't be swayed by that woman. It was time to take her life into her own hands.

* * *

**Please let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!**


	2. The Troubles of a Fifteen Year Old

**Hello everyone! Thank you so much for the encouraging reviews, you're all so nice that I just had to update as soon as I got back from vacation :) Btw I didn't proof read this which is probably stupid, but it's pretty long so... :P**

* * *

"You little devil!" Mikan exclaimed, although her grinning face betrayed her. "You planned on running away from the start, didn't you!"

Yoichi didn't reply, just shouldered his own backpack. Grinning, Mikan picked up the backpack Yoichi had handed her and looked through it. Extra clothes, toiletries, and most importantly - her wallet. Unable to contain her delight, Mikan gripped Yoichi in a fierce hug. Said boy gave a tiny squeeze back, then struggled out of her arms.

"Let's go." Nodding, Mikan glanced determinedly into the night. They were only a few minutes from their house, but she couldn't hear the sounds of someone chasing them, even though Yuka had seemed so distressed. She let out a snort of disgust, and without glancing backwards she grabbed Yoichi's hand and headed straight for the bus station.

* * *

"Oh, of _course_ you have to buy your tickets in advance!" Mikan groaned in frustration, staring at the sign posted on a pole in front of the ticket station. Well it's not like they could have bought their tickets in the middle of the night anyways, but still…! Looking around, she grabbed a map from the stall and flipped through it hastily. "Alright… So if we're over here, then… Aha!"

Startled by his sister's loud shout, Yoichi shuddered and peeked over Mikan's shoulder. Mikan pointed to a dotted line that twisted all over the place. "Call me crazy, but I'm pretty sure that we can reach our neighboring city by tomorrow night, if we follow the bus route by walking."

Yoichi frowned. "Walking?" Mikan nodded, sweating at the thought but a determined look on her face. "We didn't pack any food, and it'd be extremely exhausting considering you don't walk around nearly as much as me, but I think we can do it." Leaning in, she stared straight into the boy's eyes. "Listen, this is what it's gonna take if we're serious about leaving. I'm definitely going to keep you away from those two, and if it means walking fifty or even one hundred miles, then so be it."

After hearing Mikan's quiet speech, Yoichi looked away. For a few minutes he was quiet, then he looked back, eyes narrowed. "Moron." Mikan stared in shock at her brother, who stared firmly back at her.

"You're so caught up in saving me that you don't even think about yourself! If I hadn't been there, then you would have killed yourself. If it wasn't for my existence, then you would be dead right now! Do you even care at all about yourself?"

Looking away, Mikan racked her brain for a suitable answer. A suitable lie. Putting on a smile, she looked back. "Geez, how could a seven year old be so conceited? I'm not going to waste time arguing with you over something so obviously stupid, so let's just get going. We're wasting time." After saying this she dragged her brother away, following the road so nicely put before them. But all the while, she was thinking something entirely different from her words.

'_How could a seven year old see right through me?'_

* * *

It was morning when they finally stopped, panting under the shade of a tree, Luckily the path they were taking led straight through some kind of field, so nobody was around to cast unwanted stares at the two odd looking siblings. Reaching into her bag Mikan pulled out a package of fresh muffins. they had stopped by a twenty-four hour drug store and picked up some cheap provisions. Handing half a muffin to Yoichi, she took half for herself and, unable to pace herself, finished it in two bites. She heard Yoichi's stomach growling, as was hers, but unfortunately there was nothing she could do. Who knew when they would find another store in an isolated place like this, so they had to make sure that what they had lasted.

"Yoichi, take a nap, alright? I'm not going to carry you when you pass out while we're walking."

Throwing a half-hearted glare at Mikan, said boy reluctantly lay down and closed his eyes. As much as he hated to admit it, he was more likely to pass out from exhaustion then his sister, who both walked to and from school everyday, and was older with more stamina. Within minutes, he was fast asleep.

Mikan gazed softly at him, keeping herself from stroking his head like she so often did. Now wasn't the time to treat him like a child. She needed him to be strong, for his sake as well as hers.

For sixty long minutes she sat there, staring at the map, planning ahead, and just staring lovingly at her brother. Finally, she decided it was time to leave. Gently shaking Yoichi, she murmured in his ear. His trained body immediately sat up, forcing him to wake up. He scratched his head, eyes still closed, but Mikan didn't give him a chance to fully wake himself up. Standing, she gripped his hand and pulled him to his feet. "We need to make it there before it gets too dark, okay? Because once we near the city, then there will be too many people around for us to sleep safely."

"Won't the city be just as dangerous?"

Mikan shook her head. "No, because once we're there we can find somewhere like a park, plus I've no doubt that plenty of other homeless people just sleep on the streets. We'll be fine!"

Still nervous, Yoichi didn't reply, but he did quicken his pace a little. matching his pace, Mikan looked straight ahead. She had been bluffing when she said they would be fine, because in reality she had no idea what to expect.

They walked and walked for what felt like hours, but neither had any way to tell time besides the sun, which was now setting. They had taken two breaks for food and rest, but still both were exhausted. Mikan had debated wether or not to carry the seven year old - he was so small it wouldn't be hard - but still, she stuck to her rule of not going easy on him. Right now they were like newborns in the world, knowing none of the rules that applied to normal people. But once they were at last safe in their own house at least, then she wouldn't hold back, and once more be his loving older sister.

"Nee-chan, I see the skyline!" Yoichi pointed excitedly towards the sunset. Mikan followed his finger, and indeed, she could see the outline of a city. Rubbing her tired eyes, she smiled, holding back tears. It looked so close, she had no doubt that if they didn't stop at all, then they could make it by nightfall. Midnight, or at least early morning. Grinning, she looked down at Yoichi, who had a relieved look on his face. They made good time, although once they drew nearer they met a lot of odd stares, from equally odd-looking people.

"Er… I'm thinking that maybe… We should hurry up, alright?" Yoichi nodded in agreement, and they quickened their pace. They were walking through the outskirts of the city, through alleys and places Mikan didn't even want to go through during daylight. Only because they were so desperate did she do this.

"Finally, a decent street!" Mikan exclaimed, looking around in relief. They were safely inside of the city, although the place still looked like a dump until they got further inside. Finding a tree in a park, the siblings collapsed wearily and swiftly fell asleep, to exhausted to think of the dangers anymore.

* * *

"Alright Yoichi, it's today! I'm definitely going to find a job!"

Said boy just groaned and rolled over, refusing to wake up. Frowning, Mikan shoved him with her foot. "Come on lazy bum, I can't leave without you and I plan on getting a good start today."

Pouting, Yoichi reluctantly got to his feet and stared meaningly at the backpack. Sighing, Mikan pulled out the last of their food and water. "I suppose we'll have to get some more supplies pretty soon." Yoichi nodded solemnly and munched on his muffin. Suddenly feeling nervous, Mikan didn't eat her food, just handed it to Yoichi her eyes her suspiciously but didn't refuse.

"Once you're done, we're gonna head for that Kroger over there." Yoichi nodded, wiped his mouth and got to his feet. They ignored the looks they got from people in the park as well, and walked out into the streets. Mikan gripped Yoichi's hand tightly, not letting him out of her sight. In a new place like this even she, who walked to school daily, was nervous. The place was bigger than she had imagined, and a part of her wanted to say that it was scarier here than in her bedroom, flinching at every noise.

Once inside the store, Mikan looked at the categorized signs and headed for the 'electronics' department. Yoichi still didn't know what his sitter was doing, but he followed her willingly.

"Let's see… Yup, this ones good!" Mikan pulled a box off of a shelf and read the description. Catching Yoichi's questioning stare, she chuckled. "I figured that I should probably pick up a cheap phone from a store like this. These stores always carry phones like these - someone can literally just walk in and buy it, for a monthly fee."

Walking over to the counter, Mikan handed the phone to the clerk, who glanced at the pair's grimy clothes but didn't comment. The register made a ding, and the woman curtly bagged the box. "That would be $50, miss."

Taking a few bills out of her already thin wallet and handing them over to the woman, Mikan waited nervously for the bag to be handed over. Still glancing skeptically at Mikan's clothing, the woman handed the bag over to Mikan, along with a receipt. "There's an instruction manual in there, but just so you know you're data is limited, and you will have to bring the phone back here every month to get it updated. It's $20 a month, alright?"

Mikan nodded, thanked the lady, and walked away with Yoichi in tow. When they were outside, they stopped by an empty spot in the parking lot and Mikan opened her new treasure. While she was going through the instructions, Yoichi was lost in thought. After a few moments, he spoke up.

"What would stop someone from just walking away with the phone, and not coming back every month?"

Mikan didn't look up from what she was doing. "Well obviously, the fact that unless you pay every month, the phone will stop working. I mean, I guess if you don't mind that you can't make calls you could do that, but it's just a cheap pick-up phone, and making calls is pretty much all you can do. That's why the store doesn't make a big deal about it."

Once she was done, Mikan turned the phone on. "Geez, if I knew it was this easy, I would have gotten one ages ago!"

Smiling, she got to her feet and stretched. "Come on kiddo, we've still got a lot of daylight left. I'm going to go look for a job, 'kay? Tag along, but let me know if you want to stop."

Yoichi didn't reply, but Mikan noticed his tiny smile. "Alrighty then, let's take a look around this place!"

* * *

An hour later saw the two of them sitting dejectedly on a curb. After searching and searching, they had finally found a family-run restaurant that would hire a fifteen year old, but now they were faced with filling out the application.

"Hehe, who knew, right? That if you're a minor, you have to have your parent's signature."

Yoichi stare gloomily at the paper in front of them. Seeing his face, Mikan put on a smile. "Aww! Come on, cheer up a bit! I know that things don't look good for us right now, but I'll find a way to make this work, I always do!" Seeing that the boy still hadn't brightened up, she poked his cheek. "Hey, just because I'm only fifteen, doesn't mean I'm stupid! If I fill this out carefully, then it'll be safe to fill it out truthfully."

Looking up in surprise, Yoichi frowned. "What do you mean?"

Chuckling, Mikan glanced at the paper again, and nodded. "My birthday - it's actually in a few weeks, you know?" Yoichi nodded. "Well I can't exactly wait three weeks before getting a job, but… There's something else we could try."

Seeing her brother's confused look, Mikan sighed. "I know it's risky but… I think I can put down Yuka and Persona as my parents."

Shocked, Yoichi glared at Mikan. "Why would you do that?!"

Mikan looked down. "Sorry, correction - I'll put Yuka as my legal guardian. In a few weeks I'll be able to live on my own legally anyways, and they'll have no reason to worry about my parent's anymore. So basically, I'm forging that woman's signature, then I'll just pretend like she's my legal guardian for everything else."

Eyes narrowed, Yoichi frowned. "That might work, but it's definitely risky."

Mikan nodded. "Yeah…" she said softly, "which is why I can't let them see you. Or if I do, then I'll have to pretend you're a cousin or something. Letting them know that we're related might backfire or something."

Yoichi didn't say anything, but Mikan could see from his expression that something was bothering him. "Alright, speak up. What's eatin' you?"

The boy made a small noise from the back of his throat, that sounded to Mikan like a 'Tch'. Frowning, she grabbed a pen from her bag and started filling out the application. "I don't know what the big deal is, but whatever it is you don't need to act so huffy!"

Yoichi glared at her, and just walked away stiffly. "Don't leave my sight!" she called out, not looking up.

After a few minutes, Mikan looked up, finished with her form. Looking around, she quickly panicked when she realized she couldn't see Yoichi. _'That idiot-I told him not to leave my sight!'_

"Yoichi!" She called out, a note of despair reaching her voice. Sweating, she searched everywhere she could think of. The parking lot was full of cars, and people were starting to stare as she ran around calling for her brother, but she didn't care. The store was right next to a busy street, and cars were zooming by so fast that Mikan didn't dare imagine what would happen if a little boy were to run in front of one. Trembling, she searched even harder, checking behind every tree, and car. "Yoichi, where are you?"

Finally, when she was about to give up, a small hand poked her side. Yelping, she whipped around to glare at the smirking seven-year old. "Yoichi! Yo-you moron! Where the heck were you? I was looking everywhere, and I didn't know what had happened! What would I have done if you got run over by a car or som-!" Yoichi interrupted her by grabbing her hand and dragging the frantic girl over to the road. "Shut up, hag." Mikan ignored his remark, she was used to his insults.

"The restaurant thinks you're sixteen, alright?"

Shocked, Mikan stared at the boy, wide eyed. "Wh-What do you mean?" Yoichi smirked. "Eh? You don't get it? I simply told them that when you come back later today, they should make sure and tell you happy birthday. 'My big sis' Mikan turns sixteen today, so would you please tell her happy birthday? I'm really sad because nobody remembered it's her birthday!" Yoichi put on puppy eyes, and Mikan started laughing so hard that tears formed in her eyes.

"What? Your 'big sis Mikan?" That's gotta be the beset joke I've ever heard! You'd never call me that willingly. But more importantly, why would you tell them that? You know perfectly well that my birthday isn't for a few weeks!"

Yoichi nodded. "Stuuupid, that's why! I know that you're way to kind to lie to them like that, so _somebody_ had to."

Rolling her eyes, Mikan shook her head. "You little brat, when did you get to be so stuck up? Calling your big sis stupid!" She wiped away a fake tear.

"Well, I suppose there's no taking that little act back now, is there? So let's just get this over with. I'm gonna refill this form, and this time I won't have to mention Yuka or anyone!"

Yoichi looked at his sister from the corner of his eye. Despite what she said, he knew that she was relieved she didn't have to put down her mother's name. Holding back another smirk, he simply looked away.

* * *

"Thank you very much!" Mikan smiled at the person in front of her. He was a young man, with angelic golden hair that she'd never seen the likes of before. This was Ruka, the son of the owner of this restaurant. He grinned back at her, and handed her a schedule. "If you insist, then you can start work this week. Why don't you come back tomorrow, and I'll show you the ropes?"

Mikan nodded, and took the schedule from him. From what was filled out, it looked like she would be working with Ruka and four other people. On the schedule it said that their names were Anna, Nonoko, Koko and Misaki… Well, those were the people working this week, anyways.

Back at the park, Mikan handed the paper over to Yoichi. "Ruka says that I need to bring in a white shirt and black pants. Oh, and my hair needs to be pulled back as well."

Yoichi handed the paper back. "What will I do while your working?" he asked quietly. Mikan froze. "Crap, I didn't even think about that!" Groaning, she rubbing her head. "I suppose… No, I'm not letting you out of my sight." Mikan let out a long sigh. "I don't know… I'll figure it out though, so don't worry about it, alright?"

Raising an eyebrow, Yoichi lay down, ignoring his sister's glance. One of these days, she would realize that he wasn't so helpless that he couldn't even worry about his own problems.

* * *

"Welco- Oh, it's you," Ruka chuckled as Mikan walked in. "Not that you're not welcome." He hurriedly added. Mikan just laughed. "Well I'm here wether I'm welcome or not, just so you know!"

"Alright, so that's basically it for now. I can't really show you how to serve the tables since I've never done it before, so I'll get one of the twins to show you."

Nodding, Mikan looked around. The restaurant, or 'Nogi's Cafe' as it was called, was apparently pretty popular, even this early in the morning. It was family run so it didn't look very formal, which was good for Mikan because she didn't know how to act in a formal restaurant.

Right now it was 9:00, and Mikan had to wait for her fellow waitresses to arrive before she could start work. Before she could even think to herself that whoever it was appeared to be late, the door rang and a cheerful girl bounced inside, a bright smile on her face. "Good morning!" She called, and immediately rushed behind the counter. Ruka looked up from where he was drying the counter and smiled. "Good morning, Anna! Although, it would have been better if you were here on time."

Said girl just beamed and started putting on her apron. "Sorry."

Mikan decided this must be her co-worker. Walking over, she tapped the girl on her shoulder, surprised by the pink hair that waved down the girl's back.

Er…. Excuse me, I'm the new employee, Mikan…" the girl looked up in surprise. "Oh? Ah, Ruka mentioned you yesterday!" Smiling brightly, she held out her hand. "I'm Anna Umenomiya, it's nice to meet you!"

Mikan shook her hand. "It's nice to meet you as well. I'm Mikan."

Once both girl's were acquainted, Ruka intervened. "Alright, now that you've met, Anna would you mind showing Mikan how this works?"

Anna nodded and pouted towards the cupboard. "First off, grab an apron from in there." Mikan did as she said, and followed Anna out from behind the counter.

For the next hour Mikan tagged along with Anna, and eventually she was able to handle her own tables. Ruka and Anna kept an eye on her, but fortunately she found this job fun and managed to make a good impression.

"Excuse me sir, what can I get for you today?" She pulled out her notebook, taking the old man's order. Afterwards she handed it to Ruka, wiping her brow. "Yeesh, it's hot in here!" she mumbled, sweating. Ruka smiled at her apologetically. "Sorry, but with the door always being opened, the air conditioning doesn't really do much."

Mikan waved her hand weakly. "No, no, it's fine. I'm just gonna go get some fresh air for a minute, alright?" Ruka nodded, and Mikan gratefully headed outside.

Taking a deep breath, she looked around. People were walking around, some of them walking towards the Cafe. Luckily there were lots of cars in the parking lot, so Mikan knew that Ruka wouldn't notice if she left the parking lot. In the grass behind the Cafe, Mikan stepped behind a tree and leaned over, chuckling. "Yoichi, you haven't moved an inch since I left you here this morning!"

Said boy groaned and sat up. "Wrong, I laid down. How's work?"

Mikan sat next to him for a moment, wiping her brow. "It's good pay… Let's leave it at that. To say the least, I'm not fond of the interaction between me and the customers. Also, I'm surprised that it's just me and another girl working, when the place is this busy."

Looking up at Mikan, Yoichi held her hand, surprising the girl. "What's up?"

Closing his eyes, Yoichi leaned his head against the tree. "I'm hungry."

Laughing, Mikan shoved him gently. "I left the backpack right next to you this morning, smart alec. Do you expect me to feed you?" Standing up she looked down and gave him a warning. "If you're in trouble for whatever reason, call 911, alright? Oh, and go easy on the food, too. I don't get my paycheck until the end of the week."

Looking away, Yoichi ignored her. Pouting, Mikan turned away and headed back, muttering to herself.

* * *

The next week went pretty much the same, Mikan was a fast learner and caught on quickly. Pretty soon she was getting along with the daily customers, and making jokes with her fellow workers. She had met Anna's 'twin' Nonoko, as well as Misaki, the oldest worker. Now all she had to meet was Koko, although he didn't work for a while since he was on vacation. Now it was Friday, and Mikan was waiting anxiously for Ruka to count up her pay. Laughing at her obvious impatience, Ruka looked up. "Do you want it in cash, or a check?"

Contemplating this, Mikan frowned. "Er… Cash for now, I suppose." Ruka nodded and handed her a stack of bills. Smiling gratefully, Mikan stowed them safely away and bobbed her head. "Thank you, and I'll see you in a few days!" With that said she dashed out of the building, to who knows where.

* * *

"Alright, Yoichi, we're heading straight for the bank!" Mikan couldn't keep the excited look from her face, and all but dragged her poor brother down the street, looking for a map. She knew her way around the place pretty well by now, but they hadn't really gone anywhere but a few stores and stuff.

Inside the bank, Mikan suddenly lost her nerve. It was all very well to _say _that she would get a checking account, but now she had to trust luck that she wouldn't need a parent or a legal guardian with her.

At the counter, the man she was talking to gave her an application, but warned her that to open a checking account, she would need a parent, legal guardian, or at least someone 18 or older. Mikan politely nodded, as though that was something obvious, and walked away. Yoichi met up with her outside, and she shook her head miserably.

"Well they did say that I could just come in with someone 18 or older, but… It's hopeless! How on earth will I manage that?" Groaning, Mikan rubbed her forehead, which was pounding with a headache. _'That's odd… It must be from the stress.'_

While they were walking, Mikan had to fight the urge to just crumple up in despair. Yoichi had tried lifting her spirits, but there was nothing much that could help the situation they were in right now. If she couldn't safely store her money in the bank, then there was an incredibly high risk of it getting either stolen or lost, considering the fact that they were currently living under a tree.

"Hey, Yoichi, I'm gonna stay up for a bit, alright?" she said wearily, once they reached their temporary 'home'. "I've gotta think this through, and then I'll get some rest."

Yoichi rolled his eyes. "Make sure you sleep too, Nee-chan, if you want to work well." Mikan nodded and let him fall asleep.

It was already dark out, and she couldn't even see what was written on the piece of paper. Sighing, she ran her fingers through her grimy hair. What was she doing? How on earth was this any better than what they had back home? She had promised Yoichi that he'd have a warm, safe house to live in, but right now that pretty much seemed impossible as they slept on the rough roots of a tree. With these thoughts racing through her mind, Mikan fell asleep, her arm around her brother.

* * *

Early in the morning, Yoichi awoke to see Mikan rummaging through the two backpacks. Sitting up, he pointed demandingly towards the food sitting on the ground. Mikan rolled her eyes. "Get it yourself, brat. And if you even think about taking my share, you're dead."

Now that his stomach had stopped growling, Yoichi paused a moment to question what exactly his older sister was doing.

"I'm seeing what we have for toiletries." was the response. This reminded Yoichi that back home, Mikan had always forced him to brush his teeth. Too bad, he supposed he didn't get away with that one, even though they were homeless.

"Yoichi…" Mikan said warningly, eyes gleaming.

"Yeah?" He mumbled, not meeting her eyes. With a deep growl that sounded nothing like Mikan, Yoichi was attacked by said girl. yelling gin surprise, he attempted to dodged her swings that didn't feel very gentle at all. Shouting, he leapt to his feet and hid behind a tree. Too late-a hand gripped his shoulder and twirled him around.

"Why is it that you brought my tooth brush, but somehow forgot your own?!" Mikan shouted, glaring daggers at him. Yoichi didn't reply. There was no reason to put up with this weirdo's creepy hygiene obsessions.

"Listen, I know you don't think it's important, but I'm not paying for a dentist to fill in the cavities you're bound to get if you don't brush your teeth!" Mikan said through gritted teeth. "And now, thanks to your selfishness, I have to buy you a brand new tooth brush!" This got Yoichi to look up, his silver eyes flashing. "Don't waste money on something like that!" he yelled, then covered his mouth quickly.

Seeing that she'd hit a nerve, Mikan allowed her eyes to soften. "It's your fault, but I can't just let your teeth fall apart. Now I'm only going to buy one tooth brush, and if you use it every day, then I'm willing to forgive your little trick."

Rolling his eyes, Yoichi knew he couldn't win this one. "Whatever, hag."

Knowing this was agreement, Mikan turned away. "Once we're cleaned up, we'll go shopping for that and whatever else we need."

So that morning went by slowly, with Yoichi watching grumpily as Mikan brushed her teeth, Mikan glaring when he pushed her into the water, and both of them sulkily washing themselves in the freezing pond. Of course they left their clothes on even though no one was around, but it was still cold enough to wonder if it was really summer.

"Brr!" Mikan shivered, crawling out of the lake. Going through the contents of the backpack she had neatly organized in the grass, she chose a nice tee-shirt to wear, along with a torn pair of shorts. Yoichi had thoughtfully packed a lot of under garments, so Mikan changed everything she was wearing, and also tossed Yoichi his own change of clothes.

Glancing at both pairs of shoes, Mikan shook her head sorrowfully. "Tch. These have definitely seen better days, you know. My converse soles are coming undone, and your sneakers are so filthy I can't even remember what color they're supposed to be!" Chuckling, she sighed wearily. "I suppose once I get my pay next week, we can go shoe shopping for you at least. Mine are still okay for now."

Yoichi nodded while Mikan used a comb to smooth his messy hair. "Geez, do you purposely spike it up or something? I don't understand how your hair can defy gravity like this!"

Shrugging, Yoichi just pushed her hand aside and stood up. "I don't know… Let's go, okay?"

Ignoring his odd behavior, Mikan stood up as well and followed him out of the park. The sun shining from in-between the tall trees made her squint, and she hurried up so she didn't lose sight of Yoichi. A playground made up their backyard, and she couldn't help staring at it as they walked past, just like she did very morning. Suddenly she stopped. Yoichi also stopped when he realized she wasn't moving. "Nee-chan?"

Mikan looked back at him, smiling. "Sorry, I zoned out. Let's keep going, okay?"

Yoichi nodded slowly, but kept glancing back at her just in case something was wrong.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and please Review!**


	3. Stormy Weather

**And I'm back! Glad I got this up so quickly, but don't hold me to a schedule or anything, cuz I'm ****spontaneous, lol XD**

* * *

"Is that all for today?"

The woman nodded, and Mikan took the order over to the counter. As she poured coffee into a mug, she glanced at the clock. Ruka wasn't working today, but he had told her he would stop by after her shift to pay her.

"Mikan! Table three needs a menu!"

Mikan bustled around all morning, joking with the customers and taking orders. A lot of the people at the cafe were students, so Mikan had to be sure not to interrupt their studying. The doorbell rang and she called out a greeting like it was second nature. A couple was standing there, and she led them to a table.

"Oh, excuse me, but we're meeting with two others today."

Smiling, Mikan led them to a table for four and handed them the menus. "My name is Mikan, I'll be serving you today."

Back at the bar, she met up with Anna and Nonoko, who were also serving. "Is it just me, or is this place busier than usual?"

Anna nodded wearily. "Yeah, Ruka picked a bad day to take off."

Hearing the door ring, Mikan sighed and left to take care of the newcomers.

"We're meeting up with two other people…" Mikan nodded and smiled brightly. "Of course! They already arrived, so I'll show you where you're sitting."

The couple thanked her after they were seated, and Mikan left for the bar, which was always busy when Ruka wasn't there.

Finally, after tirelessly working for hours, Mikan sank wearily into a chair. It was 3:00, and her shift was over. Sitting at the bar, she could do nothing but wait for Ruka to arrive. The car stools were incredibly comfortable, and she couldn't help laying her head down for a short rest.

"Wow, what's he doing here today? That guy chooses the weirdest times to come!"

Looking up tiredly, Mikan raised an eyebrow as Anna and Nonoko laughed, chatting with one another while washing the dishes.

"Who's here?" She couldn't help asking, since she had nothing else to do.

"Anna laughed. "Only the hottest guy around, honey. Once you've been here for a while, you'll understand what we mean."

"I've already got a boyfriend and I still think he's hot!" Nonoko laughed, then went back to work.

Raising an eyebrow, Mikan couldn't help turning her head to see who these two were fawning over.

As far as she could see, there wasn't anyone that hot around, but she did catch sight of someone who, to her eyes, looked gorgeous at the moment. When he met her eyes, he walked over and grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry Mikan, I got caught up in the traffic. But here, it's this week's pay, in cash as requested."

Mikan thanked him, smiling gratefully at Ruka, who handed her an envelope. She checked the contents, and closed her eyes in relief. This would definitely cover her and Yoichi's living expenses for a long time. She was about to get up, when suddenly someone walked up next to her. Feeling a piercing gaze, Mikan turned her head slowly. At once, she knew that this was _definitely _the guy Anna and Nonoko were talking about. Crimson eyes, silky black hair, and a face that could kill-heck, even she, who had no experience with men, knew that he was hot.

He leaned over the counter and asked for a coffee, which Anna cheerfully went about getting for him.

Mikan prepared to leave, but before she could even get up, he looked down at her with a cold stare. "You're supposed to working, aren't you? So get your butt off the seat, and let someone else sit down."

Mikan didn't move. Something about his voice just ticked her off. "Actually, I'd rather take my time, you know?" having said this, she indignantly turned her head.

"Is that really the kind of attitude you show your customers?"

Hearing him make an annoying clicking sound, Mikan retorted angrily. "The customers I deal with are polite, and now how to speak nicely."

He turned his head back towards the bar and took his coffee from Anna, who was trying to both listen to the conversation and do her work.

After taking a sip, he placed the cup down. "This girl knows how to act properly, unlike you. Are you sure you're capable of being a waitress?"

Twitching, Mikan didn't respond. What was his problem, anyways? However, she saw Ruka walking over from the corner of her eye, and turned around to face him. Apparently the rude jerk knew him as well, because he started talking to him. "Ruka, you hired this kid? She's bad for business, you know."

Before Mikan could even open her mouth to shout indignantly, Ruka laughed. "Natsume, this is Mikan. And she's off work right now, so it's no problem. "

Mikan glared stuffily at this 'Natsume', and walked away, lifting her chin up.

Once outside, she let out an angry huff and stomped away towards where Yoichi was staying. That arrogant jerk! How dare he tell Ruka she was bad for business?!

Yoichi didn't even have time to respond when Mikan furiously dragged him home, ranting about some 'rude, arrogant egotistical fat face!'

He decided it was best to leave her to her own devices once they reached their little tree.

* * *

"How do they feel? Try walking around in them first, okay?"

It was Yoichi's first time wearing his new shoes since they bought them last week, and Mikan was making sure they fit perfectly. Her own shoes would last, at least until her next payday.

"Ow…"

Mikan raised an eyebrow and pulled a pebble out of Yoichi's shoe. "Of course it's going to hurt if you stepping on a rock!" Sighing, she stood up and grabbed her wallet. "Well I have to charge my phone anyways, so you can test them out while we walk to the library."

Dragging a grumbling Yoichi, Mikan headed for the library. It was about a mile away, so they didn't get there until around 4:00.

"Shh…" Yoichi rolled his eyes at Mikan's exaggerated shushing, but followed her quietly around the building.

While her phone was charging, Mikan took this opportunity to surf the internet. The library's policy was that you couldn't use their computers for anything personal like Facebook or Email, which was fine with Mikan.

Keeping an eye on Yoichi, who was strangely enjoying a stack of kid's books, she searched for anything that could be called a house. Apartments, boarding houses… You name it, as long as it had four walls and a roof.

For a while it looked hopeless, but Mikan was determined this time to find somewhere. Calculating her weekly pay of $200, she reasoned that somewhere between $500 to $600 would be okay for a rent.

"Whaaa?!"

Yoichi glanced at Mikan, who was staring in shock at the screen. "What?"

Still gawking, Mikan shook her head slowly. "I… I think we've found our new home!"

* * *

"They said that the room will be ready in a few weeks - since they didn't expect a reply so soon, a couple is still currently living there."

Back home, Mikan was gushing all the details to her little brother, who was absent-mindedly scratching a picture in the dirt.

Pouting, the fifteen year old frowned at Yoichi. "Why aren't you excited? Do you like sleeping under a tree or something?"

Yoichi shook his head stubbornly and refused to reply. Scratching her head, Mikan turned back to where she she had laid out her money to be counted. The park wasn't anything fancy, and a lot of other people looking for a place to stay were around. And unlike Mikan, most of them wouldn't hesitate to snatch someone's belongings. For now no one was around, so she seized the opportunity to count her savings.

"Seven hundred…sixty…" she murmured out loud. "Yes! Thank goodness, I have barely enough to pay for the down payment!"

Yoichi just shifted uncomfortably, causing Mikan to stare at him oddly. Why was he acting so weird? Shrugging it off, she let out a sigh of satisfaction and leaned against the hard trunk. Starting in a few weeks, they would be able to ditch this crazy life style, and feel like a part of society again. Already she was unable to believe her lucky with finding such an incredible job, but now she just happened to stumble across a cheap apartment room only a few miles from the Cafe. The owner's description made it sound as pleasant as a single, rundown apartment room could be, but even knowing how difficult to fix it up would be, Mikan was much more inclined to stay there than at this park.

"Did you eat yet?" she whispered to Yoichi, who nodded stiffly. Sighing, she rolled over and closed her eyes, motioning to Yoichi that he should do the same. Right now, even her brother's depressing attitude couldn't bring down her spirits.

* * *

"What's got you so happy, Mikan?"

Grinning, Mikan shook her head in reply. There was no way to explain why she was happy to Ruka, so instead she just concentrated on toning down her cheerful attitude. At this rate, they would start thinking was wrong with her.

She had finally met Koko, her fellow server, and she wasn't disappointed by Anna's description of him. Always grinning widely, a happy-go-lucky attitude… Basically exactly how Mikan was feeling right now.

"Koko, can you refill the napkins? I wouldn't mind doing it, but…"

Said boy glanced at Misaki, who was currently trying to juggle three pots of fresh coffee, and just nodded, trying not to laugh. "Don't worry about it."

Mikan paused every few minutes to help him refill the napkin holders on every table, but it was just the three of them today and she had her hand's full taking orders and clearing tables.

"You can take your lunch break now." Ruka called.

There was a room in the back of the cafe that was used as both a sitting room and a storage room, so Mikan and the others just sat on top of some crates while eating their lunch. Misaki glanced at Mikan's lunch, and then at her own, but decided not to comment on how little there was. For a few minutes they ate in silence, then Ruka poked his head in and told them to get their butts back to work.

"Hey, d'ya ever eat anything besides that pre-packaged tuna stuff?"

Mikan laughed at Koko's light-hearted observation and nodded. "Yeah, but what can I say? I'm kinda addicted. And how come you're talking? I've never seen you bring anything but sushi."

While the two joked as they went back to work, Misaki lagged behind, lost in thought.

* * *

Shooting out a word that a fifteen year old shouldn't know, Mikan dashed out the door, not hearing her co-workers' goodbye. The rain came pouring down, drenching her within seconds. Slipping on the fresh mud, Mikan made her way behind the cafe. Wiping the grime from her eyes, she looked around, desperately trying to see through the sleet.

"Yoichi!" She called out, waiting anxiously for a reply.

When not reply came back, Mikan panicked for a minute, but refused to stop. Her vision was so blurred by the rain that she didn't have any warning at all before she tripped over something and fell to the ground.

"Ow! Yoichi?"

Said boy gripped Mikan tightly, clinging to her arm. Without saying anything, Mikan grabbed the boy and stood up, hoisting him onto her back. Covering him with her jacket, which she grabbed from the rain-proof backpack on the ground, she headed for the safety of the library.

As she walked, Mikan reached behind her to feel the boy's forehead. Trying not to panic, she hoped it was just her imagination that his forehead felt really hot.

While crossing the road, it was nearly impossible to distinguish cars from people, in the blurred mess that covered her eyes. Blinking rapidly, she ran as fast as she could, without slipping. And much to her relief, other people were doing the same thing as well so she didn't get any odd looks. This downpour came out of no-where, and she doubted anyone was prepared for it.

"No, sh*t!" Mikan shouted, startling the boy who was shivering on her back. "Gosh dang it, you stupid building!" Glaring furiously at the 'closed' sign that hung on the door of the library, she turned away and stepped into a small convenience store. The woman at the counter told her to feel free to take shelter there from the rain for a bit, to which Mikan gratefully accepted.

Setting Yoichi down, she maneuvered around the few other people also taking shelter, until they were on their own. First she felt his forehead, letting out a sigh when it felt the same as hers. Seeing Yoichi waver on his feet a bit, she told him to sit down.

"Why didn't you go find shelter when it first started to rain? You could have at least come to me at the cafe!"

Yoichi shrugged blankly. "I don't know. It started quickly."

Sighing, Mikan looked him over, taking in his sopping wet clothes, and dripping hair. "Well this stinks…" Yoichi nodded.

Checking that the contents of the backpack were safe, Mikan pulled out an extra shirt and pulled it over Yoichi's small body. He hugged it gratefully, then looked up at her in expectancy. Mikan forced a smile, pretending to be busy with other things. "I've only got that shirt and the jacket. Good thing this storm shoved it in my face that we need more clothes, huh? I'll make do with the shirt I'm wearing for now."

"Moron."

A loud boom sounded, and then suddenly everything went dark. With everyone screaming and panicking, Mikan couldn't hear what the store clerk was shouting until a while later.

"-ot safe! The power's out, so if you have somewhere else you can go, please leave so I can close up shop!"

Frowning, Mikan watched as at least three people grumblingly exited the building. Seeing that there was only a few people left the worker let out a sigh. Mikan saw this and let out a groan of frustration. Sighing, she stood up and grabbed her backpack, motioning for Yoichi to get on her back again.

"Come on, there are probably other stores that haven't closed. Let's stop bothering this person, okay?"

Yoichi nodded, but didn't get on her back. Instead he grabbed her hand stiffly, reminding Mikan that this kind of clingy behavior was not normal for him. Smiling, she walked to the door, thanking the woman, who smiled back just as gratefully.

Outside, Mikan looked around hurriedly for any sign saying 'open', trying to stay under the shelter of the building's awning. The wind whipped her words away before they could even reach Yoichi's ears, so Mikan had to lean down and shout in his ear for him to understand.

"Stores… closed! … cafe too!"

Piecing together what he could understand, Yoichi put together that all the stores on the street were closed, and the cafe Mikan worked at was closed too.

Seeing that there was no other option, Mikan dragged her brother away. The only other people stupid enough to be out in this weather were other homeless people, and Mikan couldn't help wishing she had somewhere to give them shelter, as well as herself. Maybe they were in the same situation as her. However, first on her mind was the safety of her younger brother.

* * *

Stubbornly, she made her way into the park, after trudging through mud and water for almost an hour. It shouldn't take that long, but the conditions were so horrible she felt like they actually made good time. There weren't any shelters in the park, except for the public restroom. Yoichi was shivering like crazy, and he wasn't the only. Mikan's thin shirt clung to her body, the water seeping into her skin and chilling her to the bone. Her head felt light, and she had to fight every nerve just to remain standing. Shaking her head, she led Yoichi the remaining distance to the restroom, and finally collapsed inside, safe for now from the wild storm.

Ignoring the dirty floor, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She could feel a small foot kicking her gently, but felt herself unable to respond. That's odd… Why did she suddenly feel so… weak?

Eyes wide, Yoichi stared in shock at Mikan, who fell unconscious on the floor. Trembling, he nudged her again. "Mi…kan? Mikan!"

No use, she was passed out. The helpless seven year-old couldn't do anything more than prop her head on his lap and sit patiently next to her, defenseless without his strong older sister.

* * *

Misaki glanced worriedly out the door. "I wonder if Mikan made it safely home…"

Nonoko chuckled. "That stubborn girl? I barely know her, but there's no way she would let this storm stop her."

Neither noticed Ruka, who was staring blankly out the window, watching the storm. There was something bugging him, but nothing for sure so he didn't dare mention it to the others.

In the end, everyone had ended up getting stuck inside during the storm, even though the shop was closed. A few customers were also inside, choosing not to risk their lives by stepping outside.

Koko leaned against the counter. "I haven't seen a storm like this in a long time, you know. Why'd it start so spontaneously?"

Shrugging, Ruka set about washing the dishes sitting in the sink. "Who knows? But I'm worried that it'll blow a fuse or something. Did you see that one building that got hit by a tree?"

The others nodded, but Natsume, who had once again picked a random time to visit, just calmly sipped his coffee. "It's not like this is some cheap structure, right? You guys are just worrying for nothing."

Ruka shrugged. "It can't hurt to be careful. Besides, aren't you at all worried that your Camaro will get scratched?"

Natsume rolled his eyes. "If I had to choose to worry, I'd be thinking about my frickin' house, which happens to be underneath a telephone pole."

Anna walked over, carrying a fresh pot of coffee and refilled Natsume's cup. Said boy grunted in thanks, and took a sip. Staring at him for a second, her eyebrow's narrowed. "I always thought you were the kind of guy who would be more concerned for a car than for even another person…"

With a straight face, Natsume didn't even glance at her. Ruka answered her instead. "I think that what he's too stuck up to say is that he never said he cared more for a person than his car. He said his _house_." Seeing her shocked face, he laughed. "Those are his thoughts, not mine."

* * *

While they all laughed and discussed different things, a certain young boy was in a rather tight situation.

"Nee-chan! Wake up!" Yoichi grained in frustration. Mikan's forehead was burning hot, and she was shaking even in her sleep. Clueless, he poured some water from their bottle onto her forehead, in an attempt to soothe the fever. It didn't help, from what he could see.

This was different from home, where they had medicine, at least somewhat. They were always the ones taking care of each other, except for when Yuka would occasionally stop by in a moment of sanity. Although, Mikan took such good care of Yoichi that he was usually only sick when it was something caused by hunger, or Persona's twisted fits of anger.

The smell from the urinals was overwhelming, and the sound of thunder crashing over head was so intense that the building was shaking. Or was it the lightning? Maybe the rain was so fierce itself that it was rattling the roof. Moaning, Yoichi huddled up tightly, covering his ears and shutting his eyes tightly.

* * *

Feeling a hand gently brush his skin, Yoichi slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Mikan, staring at him with dull eyes, he shot up, and immediately started feeling her forehead. "Nee-chan! Are you 'kay?"

Struggling, she opened her dry mouth and, in as soft a voice as she could manage, answered his question. "Sorry… I'll be okay in a bit…."

Yoichi was about to reply, but her eyes had already closed again. Well if she really thought so, then there wasn't much he could do. Sighing, he sat and waited impatiently for the storm to die away. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

**So? Ah, please let me know what you think :)**


	4. Change, wether you like it or not

**Heeeeey, has it already been a month? Sorry...**

**So I was just on a homeless mission trip, sleeping outside in a box and all that stuff. It was amazing! Freezing, but ****amazing, really opened my eyes to what they were really going through. So yeah, I have a real appreciation for what Mikan's going through. And I've also had to be a mother figure for my younger siblings, as well as taking care of the house, and it's a huge responsibility, so for Mikan to be taking care of Yoich like that... well, I know what it's like :)**

* * *

There was nothing she could do to stop the pounding in her head, nor the aching all over her body. Groaning, all she could do was lay back and allow Yoichi to soothe her fever with a damp shirt. Twitching uncomfortably, she feebly tried to remove something from underneath that was poking her back and making it impossible to sleep. Seeing her plight, Yoichi reached underneath her and pulled out a twig.

"Moron. You should have stayed in the cafe."

Mikan grinned weakly, but didn't reply. Her throat was so hoarse that just breathing was almost painful. The boy knew this, and used it to his advantage, repeatedly berating her for her stupidity.

"And why haven't you bought a jacket for both of us yet? And it was idiotic not to have built a real shelter by now. That's your fault. Did I mention that we're almost out of food? Sick people can't eat, I'll take your share."

This got Mikan to glare at Yoichi for real, and he smirked back at her.

Sighing, he leaned back against the hard wall and closed his eyes. Looking after his sister all through the night was extremely exhausting, even for a tough kid like him. And he hadn't been lying when he said they were almost out of food! He hadn't eaten since some time yesterday…

Drifting into a light slumber, his head fell onto Mikan's shoulder, and she gently placed her hand on his head while he slept.

* * *

"Where's Mikan?"

The other workers looked up at Misaki's question, and shared looks of curiosity. None of them had realized until now that they were short a waitress.

Ruka frowned while pouring drinks at the bar. "I haven't received a call from her or anything, and i've been worrying for a while now, since the last time we saw her was three days ago when that storm started."

Nodding, the teens conversed amongst one another about what might have happened. Anna and Koko were convinced that she just slept in, but Misaki and Ruka were discussing more serious possibilities. As Misaki went from table to table, she would occasionally throw a comment into the conversation.

"Should I try calling her?" Ruka asked, glancing at Misaki. Said girl gave a shrug, but her face betrayed her feelings, and Ruka immediately went behind the bar to grab his phone.

* * *

Hearing a buzzing sound, Yoichi was startled out of his restless sleep. Rubbing his eyes, he sat up and reached into the backpack.

"…Yeah?" he mumbled.

"_Is this Mikan?"_

"Nope, her younger brother."

"_Can I speak to Mikan please? This is Ruka, your sister works at my cafe."_

Recognizing the name, Yoichi reluctantly decided to tell the guy what happened. "Mikan's sick, and she can't speak."

There was a pause, then, _"She's sick? With what?"_

"…" The seven year old had no idea what was going on with Mikan.

"_Hello?"_

"Er… She's just sick. She can't come to work for a while, okay?"

"_Wait, is there anything I can do to help?"_

"Nope. Goodbye." With that said, Yoichi swiftly snapped the phone shut and let out a sigh. Checking that Mikan hadn't woken up, he settled down once more for another nap.

* * *

Ruka frowned at the screen that now said 'call ended'. That explained a bit, but also gave him even more questions. Seeing Misaki send him a questioning look, he spoke, still frowning in thought. "Her little brother answered the phone, says she's sick."

The older girl shrugged. "If she's sick, she's sick. Although quite frankly, I think it definitely had to do with that storm. Doesn't she walk to work? That means she walked however far the pouring rain to get home."

Overhearing them, Koko and Anna jumped into the conversation, the latter speaking first. "Now that you mention it, I've never seen her in a car before. Although it's not unreasonable these days to walk everywhere, what with gas money going up. I payed $4.50 per gallon the other day!"

Nodding in agreement, Koko added a comment. "Yeah, so chances are she's just trying to save money, walked home in the storm, and now is facing the consequences."

"But why didn't she just stay in the cafe like us, when she found out about the storm?" Misaki questioned with a frown. But before anyone could reply, Ruka intervened.

"That's enough guys, we don't need to pry into her personal business so much. She's sick, that's all we need to know."

Grumbling, the others dispersed and went about their own work. Meanwhile, Ruka made a private phone call in the back room.

* * *

Mikan groaned when she felt something bump her roughly. "…Yoi…chi…"

When no response came, besides the sound of… panicked footsteps… Mikan immediately grew suspicious. Forcing her eyes open, she almost fainted at what she saw. What little clothing they owned was scattered around the filthy bathroom floor, and their hygiene items were carelessly tossed everywhere, as though someone had been frantically searching for something. But worst of all, she saw the backpack lying unzipped, and apparently empty.

Choking back a sob, she nudged Yoichi as best she could. Feeling tears well up, she quickly shut her eyes so she wouldn't have to see the disaster those wretched thieves had made out of their belongings.

Yoichi stirred quickly, and awoke to the same sight as Mikan. Immediately he leapt to his feet, glaring fiercely at the still swinging bathroom door. He made to chase after the strangers, but Mikan held him back with a glare. Trembling, he dropped to the ground.

"That was everything… all the money you made, in that backpack."

Mikan nodded, unable to trust her voice. Yoichi slumped against the wall, a feeling of hopelessness welling up inside of him.

"Nee-chan… Why? Why is life so unfair?!" his voice grew high pitched at the end, and he couldn't hold back his tears any more. Shoulders wracking, he huddled up and buried his face in his arms, sobbing quietly.

Feeling the same way, Mikan couldn't hold it back either, not while seeing her little brother crying so helplessly. Chest heaving, she took deep breaths and tried to calm down, but the sight of all her hard work destroyed was too much, and tears streamed down her face. Sitting against the wall, she raised her hands to her face, and just let her feelings take over.

Both siblings sat there crying, and they stayed like that for a good fifteen minutes, before finally Mikan got control over her feelings. Wiping her eyes, she sat there in silence for a few minutes, then scrambled to her knees and painstakingly crawled over to the remains of their belongings. Her extra shirt that had been dampened for her fever, Yoichi's change of clothes, and their toiletries. And luckily, her phone was right next to Yoichi.

There was no point in saving the toiletries after they had been touching the filthy bathroom floor for so long, so she immediately tossed those out. As for their clothes, they were no longer worth saving either, except for Yoichi's pants. The two shirts were so drenched and filthy that she didn't imagine even a rich person could work miracles on them. She threw them out.

While she was doing this, Yoichi was going through the back pack, still sniffling. As he thought, all the money they had saved up was gone.

"Yoichi, don't cry over something as stupid as this. Don't forget, we were worse off when we left home, right? Barely any money at all. So we'll just start over, wait for my next paycheck."

The young boy nodded, and bravely put on a smile. "We can earn money for food on the streets, right Nee-chan? Because you don't get your paycheck for a few weeks."

Mikan nodded half-heartedly. He made it sound so easy. Sighing, she weakly admitted to herself that they had it coming. Of course if they stayed for almost three days in a public restroom, they would get robbed. Now that she thought about it, those people could have done a _lot_ worse. Shivering, she glanced at Yoichi. They had to get out of here.

Seeing that his sister was trying to stand, Yoichi hurried over to catch her when she fell. "Hey! Are you trying to kill yourself?"

Feeling light-headed, Mikan didn't respond, but refused to sit down. "We… have to lea…ve…"

Muttering under his breath, the seven year old was faced with a dilemma-either stay in the bathrooms with a chance of getting robbed again, or worse-or they could move to the streets, where it was easier to protect themselves. Glancing at his sister, he knew that she chose the second option.

Gripping the backpack tightly in his hand, Yoichi determinedly dragged it behind him, too small to wear it. His older sister was attempting to walk on her own even in her fever, although she would constantly place a hand on his head for support. The young boy was at the point of exhaustion, but he couldn't rest until they were safe. So the two siblings struggled out of the bathroom, blinking in the harsh afternoon light. As usual the park was empty, and they had no problem with strangers as they made their way out of the park.

Cars honked, splashing muddy water all over the two siblings every time they zoomed past.

The streets were full of potholes, and the grass everywhere was hard to walk in, being so squishy and full of puddles. The two struggled determinedly, but were shivering from head to toe, only able to dream of finally being dry and warm again.

Walking down the sidewalk, Mikan managed to roughly guide her brother to a place where other people often took shelter as well. It was the rougher edge of the city, and it was meant for people like her and Yoichi. Homeless, worthless, hopeless, and ultimately lifeless.

People were sitting under blankets against the graffiti covered walls, or wandering around with nothing to do. None of them even glanced twice at Mikan and Yoichi, which was something the girl was grateful for.

There were multiple places where they could make a temporary shelter, but Mikan looked for one farthest away from any men. Apparently there was some sort of group of homeless women and children who would all go together to a shelter that offered them dinner, and occasionally a bed. They generally stayed together her informant told her, an old woman missing both teeth and her hair.

Following the woman's directions, Mikan made her way towards some sort of alley behind an abandoned building. And sure enough, there were quite a few women and children back there. None of them made eye contact with Mikan, who was also looking at the floor. Except for the occasional cry of a child, nobody said much. Mikan saw that everyone else had made themselves homes out of cardboard boxes, and a variety of other things that completed it.

"You stay here, okay? Don't talk to anyone, just stay over here and wait for me to get back. I won't be too long."

Yoichi didn't respond, just huddled into a ball in silence. Patting him on the head, the still-sick girl stumbled wearily done the alley and out into the streets once more. Several men whistled as she walked past, but she did her best to ignore them. Having caught sight of a dumpster, she walked over to it and did her best to reach a few of the boxes. After jolting her head by jumping resulted in a headache, she groaned and crouched over. Sweating, she tried one more time, ignoring the pain. For Yoichi, she would do anything.

Dragging two boxes full of supplies from the trash can, Mikan walked over to Yoichi, and gently nudged him with her foot. Startled into wakefulness, the boy looked up at Mikan and gave a tiny smile.

Dumping the contents onto the floor, Mikan immediately set about making their new home. A woman who was camped next to her gave her a few tips, which she gratefully accepted. Covering the two boxes with plastic bags she had found, she shivered and looked over her work. It was simplistic and unstable, but it would have to do for now. Tossing their backpack inside, she motioned for Yoichi to crawl in, then followed him, closing the flaps behind them.

Huddling next to one another for warmth, the siblings were left in total darkness, both in reality, and in a manner of speaking. Neither had any idea what tomorrow would bring, but all they really cared about was surviving this moment right now, and making it through the night. Stomaches growling, they fell into an uncomfortable sleep.

* * *

She could see a hand reaching towards her, and grabbing her by the neck. Choking in shock, she scrabbled around desperately to get a hold on her captor, but it was no use. In a sudden flash, the girl was now sitting huddled in a corner, her arms covering her head as blow after blow came raining down on her. Blood trickled down her forehead, and she cried helplessly, begging her tormentor to stop.

But the abuse didn't stop until she was woken up by Yoichi shaking her frantically. Shocked, sweat dripping down her forehead, Mikan gasped, holding back a scream. Unable to see Yoichi in the darkness, she had no idea that he was crying out of fear. Laying back down, she was actually grateful for the chilling night air that numbed her body all over. It made her feel like none of this was actually happening. Closing her eyes, she murmured a bit of comfort to her brother. "Don't worry, it was just a dream. If it happens again, don't bother getting up."

Her brother frowned, but decided to trust his sister in this matter. Closing his eyes, he did his best to ignore her whimpers, as well as the moans of other homeless people taking shelter from the night air.

* * *

"Momma, can I have a dollar?"

Gripping her daughter's hand tightly, a woman hurried past the young teenager who was sitting in a huddle against the brick wall, with a handwritten sign leaning next to her. As she walked past, the girl could hear her whisper hardly to her daughter. "You don't just hand out money to strangers, Haru. All they would do is waste it on alcohol, cigarettes, or even drugs!"

Shifting, Mikan nearly laughed at this comment. Sure, some people, maybe even most homeless people would use money like that, but was that any reason to judge everyone as a whole? It was already 2:00, and she hadn't made a cent.

Yoichi was taking a nap in their new home, and she was sitting out on the sidewalk, trying to earn even two bucks to buy him lunch. She didn't work until tomorrow, and payday wasn't for two weeks, so they'd have to survive some other way for now.

It was turning into late summer, and pretty soon she'd have to buy warmer clothing for the two of them. Once she got money, of course.

She had a lot of time to think last night since she couldn't sleep, and one thing she was most concerned about was the apartment they had planned on staying at. They just lost everything saved up for the room, and she had no idea how long she would be able to get the couple to hold it for them.

"You new here, girl…?"

Looking up dully, Mikan blinked at the woman who was standing in front of her. Like most of the other homeless people, she had dark skin. Tattoos and various earings covered her body, and she had bleached highlights in her hair. Already much accustomed to this look, Mikan didn't think twice about it. Nodding, all she could think of was why this woman was talking to her. In this lifestyle, you pretty much wanted to stick to yourself.

"We don't got much of you white folks down here, ya know? So what'd ya do to land yo'self here?"

Mikan didn't answer, and it wasn't just because the woman's rough accent was hard to understand. Did privacy not matter here?

As if she hadn't even spoken, the lady shambled on, wrapped up in patterned scarves. Mumbling to herself or other people, she wandered around like she had nothing to do, nowhere to go.

Hugging her knees, Mikan closed her eyes tightly. Was it pointless to try anymore? She couldn't go back to the box because she had to leave enough room for her younger brother, but there was nowhere else to go.

Her clothes were so worn and dirty that she honestly couldn't imagine walking around town the way she was. Stuck in the same shirt she'd left work in a few days ago, she couldn't even change, and it still smelled of disgusting mildew from the rain that had soaked her. That, along with dirt from her living conditions, made her look completely the part of a homeless girl. She didn't know what she would do for work tomorrow.

At the end of the day, all she received from 'charitable' strangers was a few bucks. Forgetting her embarrassment for the sake of her brother, she walked into a general store and bought the cheapest bit of food she could find. Unlike a week ago, it was much harder to ignore the looks she received. Unconsciously looking at the ground, she made her way back to the poor side of the city.

"Mnn… Mikan?"

Said girl just quietly pulled out what little food she had bought and handed it to the boy, who eagerly grabbed it. After staring at it for a second, he divided it into two. Handing one half to Mikan, he looked down and started to silently eat his own. Knowing he wouldn't back down, the starving teenager accepted the food.

After their meager dinner, they talked for a bit about what was going on, Mikan told him about her day, and they huddled together for sleep once more. The cold was more fierce everyday, and they could feel the hard cement as it seeped the warmth right out of their bodies, even through the cardboard.

* * *

"Do you want to come with me, or stay here?"

Yoichi shook his head, curling up. It was early in the morning, and Mikan was getting ready to leave for work. Despite the fact that her formerly white shirt was completely ruined, nothing was going to stop her from going. They needed the money now more than ever. Since Yoichi wanted to stay in the box, she left on her own, sticking to the sides if the street.

After stopping in a store and using the bathroom to fix her tangled hair, Mikan took a deep breath and walked over to the cafe.

Pushing the door open, she walked in as silently as possible, and was relieved to see that it was only Ruka right now.

He looked her way as she walked in, and from his face she knew just how shocked he was.

"Mikan?" he hurried out from behind the bar and took in her whole filthy appearance.

"Let's see if we have an extra shirt in back."

Looking up in surprise, Mikan widened her eyes. Of all the things he could say, this was the least expected. No scorn? No questions? Nothing?

Ruka chuckled. "I don't know how anyone could get a shirt this dirty. You must have taken quite the tumble, right?"

Oh, that's why. Because this young man was being polite, and forcing himself not to assume anything.

Nodding gratefully, Mikan shuffled around back to find another shirt. Ruka walked back to the bar, and continued setting out glasses.

After changing, she went up front and began her usual chores. As she worked, Ruka and her kept up a conversation.

"Your brother said that you were sick just a few days ago. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah," Mikan replied, "It was just a little fever. Sorry about skipping work, though."

Ruka nodded. "Don't worry about it, I wouldn't want you to come in if you were sick."

There was an awkward silence for a moment, then to Mikan's relief Anna and Nonoko came bursting through the door, closely followed by Koko.

"Mikan! You're back!" the girls exclaimed, practically jumping on her. Koko followed after them more slowly, grinning broadly. Surrounded by her friends, Mikan couldn't help smiling. "Sorry to worry you guys, really!"

Anna laughed, then glanced at Mikan's clothes. As well as her still-dirty pants, she was covered in dirt where she hadn't been able to wash up in the bathroom.

"Honey, what's up with you? Are you doing okay?" her voice remained light, but her eyes betrayed her worry and suspicion.

Hesitating, Mikan glanced down at her clothes, then put on a frown. "My house got hit hard by the storm, it blew our power, so I couldn't take a shower."

Immediately Anna and Nonoko shared a glance. "Mikan, you should have told us! After work, you come with us and we'll make sure you're taken care of."

Ruka intervened. "Speaking of work, get to it right away please. I don't care what you do afterwards, but right now we have customers to take care of."

Giggling, the two girls got to work, as did Mikan.

* * *

"Come on, we live right down that street."

Mikan was following Anna and Nonoko to their shared apartment, with no clue as to what was going on. They were walking down a nice neighborhood, thirty minutes from where she and Yoichi were staying. Despite the fact that a storm just blew through the other day, the grass was still a fresh green, something Mikan hadn't even seen back at their old house.

They walked up a sidewalk that led to a one story house, and Anna opened the door. As Mikan followed them in, she couldn't help wincing at the memory of the last house she had been inside. The memories still raw in her mind, she could hear the sound of clinking glass as Persona grabbed multiple beers from the fridge, and she could feel the pain from all the times he had abused her.

"What do you think? Sorry if it's a little messy, but we're in the middle of renovating, actually." Nonoko said, a little apologetically.

Mikan looked around the room, taking in it's appearance. "This is considered messy? Trust me, this is nothing compared to what I used to deal with." she replied truthfully.

Relieved, but a little curious, Nonoko grinned and grabbed Mikan's hand. "Well anyways, let's get you washed up. My bedroom is just down the hallway, next to Anna's."

Nonoko's bedroom turned out to be about half the size of Mikan's old house, she found, as she looked around. Frowning, she shook her head. Why did she keep comparing things to that wretched place? She didn't even want to think about it!

"Do you know how this shower works? It's a newer design, so you kind of have to pull it and then push it a little. It's confusing, should I just show you?"

Once she had the shower figured out, Mikan was handed a pile of towels, shampoo and conditioner, and other things. Dumbfounded, she stumbled into the bathroom and stared in shock at the closed door. What was happening? One minute she's working alongside these girls, then the next she's inside their house, taking a shower?!

But these two wouldn't hurt her, she was smart enough to know that. Making the best of the situation, she set down her pile of towels, and turned on the water. Her hair was yanked out of it's ponytail, which she had put it in to hide the filth. Next, her clothes were peeled away from her skin, and tossed into a pile.

Gingerly stepping into the water, she immediately melted at the feeling of the scalding water. How long since the last time she had a shower, and a hot one at that? Pouring half the bottle of shampoo into her hand, she scrubbed vigorously at her scalp, loving the feeling of cleanliness that followed.

For a long thirty minutes she stood there, before realizing that Anna and Nonoko were probably still waiting for her to come out. So she stepped out of the shower at last, wrapping herself up in a towel. Wiping off the fog on the mirror, she took a look at herself. Her long hair actually looked kind of pretty when it was clean, framing her face that was always thin from long days and nights of hunger.

But as soon as she looked at the exposed skin not covered by the the towel, she was frozen with pain. From her shoulders all the way down to her legs, she was covered in scars. Old bruises were fading, but the scars would never leave. One in particular brought back horrible memories, a long streak of red skin that ran along her leg. She had hurt herself on the iron, when she fell back while trying to hide from Persona.

A knock came at the door, and she was dragged out of her thoughts by Anna's voice. "I heard the water go off, are you finished?"

Gulping, Mikan took a few breaths, shuddering. "Y-yeah, I'm done."

A pause. "Don't get dressed yet, okay? Me and Nonoko laid out some clothes for you to try on."

What? Clothes? This was too much for Mikan, but she couldn't refuse their generosity. In fact, she desperately wanted to accept it, she was in dire need of new clothes. But her scars… Taking a second towel, she wrapped it around her waist, then moved the first one around her shoulders. There! Nothing was visible now. But for good measure, she wrapped a third one around her hair.

Walking out of the bathroom, she was met with a tornado. Well, that's what it appeared to be. Clothes were scattered all over the room-draped across chairs, strewn over the bed-and Anna and Nonoko were in the middle of it.

Nonoko looked up when she heard the door open, and grinned at Mikan. "You look like a duck!" she started laughing, and Anna joined in. At first she was offended, but soon Mikan was laughing too. As she walked over to the bed, Anna managed to stop laughing.

"You're definitely different, Mikan. Most girls would be wearing nothing as soon as they came out of the shower. But here you are, wrapped up from head to toe."

Mikan raised an eyebrow. "That's gross. Besides, I'm pretty sure girls like that would only come out naked in front of guys."

"Oh good, you're not one of _those_ girls," Nonoko sighed. "We get enough of that behavior from Sumire!"

"Sumire?"

Anna answered Mikan's question. "Oh, she's just some girl who used to work at the cafe. We still hang out with her, but she can get a little flirty sometimes."

"Sometimes?" Nonoko laughed. "She gets a new boyfriend every month."

Mikan forced a small laugh. This was an interesting conversation, and not one she wanted to take part of.

"Yeah, yeah, but she's pretty nice once you get to know her. We'll introduce you two one day." Anna replied. Gasping, she turned to look at the clothes. "Oh my gosh! I totally forgot!"

Nonoko started laughing again. "Sorry Mikan, we get a little hyper and stuff when we have friends over. But anyways, let's get you dressed up, okay?" Picking up a random shirt, she held it up in front of Mikan. "Do you like it?"

This was going to be a _long_ day.

* * *

By the time Mikan left, she was lugging a huge suitcase behind her, waving cheerfully back at the two girls who were calling out goodbyes. She hadn't been able to find appropriate words for thanks when she left, but thankfully they had understood.

As she plodded through the puddles, lifting up the suitcase, she was left to think about her good fortune. She couldn't believe that two people as nice as Anna and Nonoko existed. Who just invites a random person over to their house, then gives them a ton of clothes? But she couldn't forget what Nonoko had said.

"_Sorry Mikan, we get a little hyper and stuff when we have friends over."_

They thought of her as a friend. She was stunned that they would so readily consider her a friend-they didn't know anything about her. But that was their decision, and it was up to Mikan now, wether or not she completed the circle and admitted to considering them her friends.

* * *

Hearing a sniffle come from their box, Mikan hurried inside, fearing the worst. When she crawled inside and adjusted to the dark, her heart wrenched.

"Yoichi, what's the matter?"

Said boy looked up in shock, eyes red from crying. Before Mikan could say anything else, he jumped on her, despite the small area, and started punching her. Startled, Mikan did her best to dodge. "What's wrong with you? Cut it out!"

Glaring, Yoichi gave one last kick and huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "You didn't say you would be gone so long, idiot."

Chuckling, Mikan reached over and ruffled the boy's head. "Aww, were you worried about me?" Still laughing, she reached outside and pulled in the suitcase. Fortunately, their home was made from a rather large box, most likely for a refrigerator. Unzipping it, she chose a comfortable hoody. "It's a little big, but that's probably for the best."

Yoichi took the hoody and struggled into it, the sleeves hanging way past his hands. "A _little_ big?"

Sighing, Mikan pulled out another hoody, and put it on. "Aren't you going to ask me where I got these?"

The two of them lay down, with the younger one commenting sleepily. "I don't care where you got them from, as long as you didn't steal them."

* * *

"Shh, here she comes!"

As she walked in the door, Mikan couldn't help feeling suspicious of her co-workers, who were all huddled around Ruka at the bar. When she walked over, she noticed them immediately clam up, and hurry about their business. Frowning, she shook it off and put on her apron. Greeting Ruka, she got to work.

It was a normal day of work, the cafe full of customers, especially college students. Mikan was kept busy running around taking orders and making food.

"Table three doesn't want cheese on their omelets." Misaki called to Mikan, who was working the kitchen today. Nodding, she started remaking the omelet. As she was about to throw out the omelet she just made, though, she paused. After thinking for a second, she set it aside.

Koko walked over to her, carrying a bin of silverware. "Hey, can you start washing these? I'll take over cooking."

Groaning, Mikan nodded and grabbed the bin from him. She hated washing silverware, but cooking was even more annoying. She had never done this kind of cooking before working here, and it was something she definitely didn't enjoy doing.

As she scrubbed, she thought about Yoichi. What was he doing right now? She felt bad for always leaving him on his own, but at least she didn't have to worry about his safety anymore. She had come to realize that he would be okay on his own, he was seven years old and getting bigger and stronger by the day.

"Mikan, do you want cash again?"

Said girl looked up at Ruka and nodded. Ruka went behind the bar. A few minutes later, he came out carrying an envelope. "Don't lose it." he joked, and handed it to her.

"Thanks," Mikan smiled and headed out. "See you later, guys."

Misaki and the rest waved goodbye, and packed up so they could leave too. Koko and the girls were already outside a few minutes later, but Ruka stopped Misaki before she could leave. With a serious look, he met her eyes with a firm stare.

"Listen, I don't want you guys going off and spying on Mikan." When Misaki raised an eyebrow coldly at him, he shook his head. "Sorry, I'm not talking about you. But knowing Anna and Nonoko, and even Koko, they'll try following her home or something, trying to find out about her personal business."

Misaki sighed. "Don't worry about it, I'll keep an eye on them."

"Thanks. I just don't want Mikan to be judged for any reason, okay? Just because we were guessing about a few things, doesn't mean we need to bother her or anything."

Nodding, Misaki turned around and waved. "I get it, Ruka. Actually, I kinda have a soft spot for the girl too."

Ruka smiled and shook his head. After cleaning up, he pulled out his cellphone.

"Hello, Hotaru?… Alright, sorry, _Imai_. Anyways, I need you to do me a favor. Could you meet up with me tomorrow at the cafe? … Yeah… Thanks, see you then."

Groaning, he hung up and rubbed his head. Why did he pick today to hang out with Natsume? All he wanted right now was to get a good few hours of sleep for once.

* * *

Mikan crawled into their home, and nudged Yoichi. "Hey mister, you hungry?"

Yoichi nodded and grabbed the food from his sister's hand immediately. Wolfing it down, he didn't even glance up at her until it was mostly gone. When he finally offered her the last bit, she just sighed. "No, I ate earlier."

Actually, she really did. After asking Ruka, she found out that she was allowed to eat the food prepared that was messed up, as long as it hadn't already been served. So of course she ate that omelet.

"So… I called the couple who owns the apartment." she finally said.

Yoichi raised his eyebrows, wiping crumbs off of his mouth. "Yeah?"

Mikan sighed. "I-I have some bad news."

Silence.

"They've revoked our agreement, we can't move in."

"What?" Yoichi shouted, eyes wide.

Mikan sighed wearily. "I'm sorry, but they won't let a sixteen year old live on her own with a child. Not in their apartment."

Yoichi stared at her in shock. "Bu… But that was our way out of this place! We were going to get a better life!"

"You think I don't know that?" Mikan groaned and lay down on their pile of bedding. "I know, okay? But sometimes things don't work out so great, especially for us."

"What now?"

"We see how long we can survive like this, I guess. But with our luck, I won't be able to legally rent an apartment until I'm eighteen."

There was nothing more to say, after that. With the darkness of night cradling them, the two siblings slept restlessly, tossing and turning, just like they did every night.

* * *

**So I have a serious question for you. Am I a good writer? That's all, just please answer truthfully, if at all, because I really am curious XD**


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